Вход

вход по аккаунту

Патент USA US3076058

код для вставки на сайт или в блог

Ширина: (aвто)

Высота:

ссылки на документ

адрес страницы документа

адрес полноэкранного варианта

короткий адрес

United States Patent'()
1
3,075,848
ALKYLATTQN PRO€E§S
Ice T. Kelly, Lake ‘Charles, La, and Wiiliam Sehccn,
Houston, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to
B?'l??dg
pp
lC€
Patented Jan. 29, 1963
2
in the presence of the liquid catalyst phase in amounts
such as are normally used for AlCl3-type catalyst alkyla
tion processes or any of the conventional acid catalyst sys
tems such as sulphuric acid and hydro?uoric acid. In the
process of the invention, the lower ratio of isopara?in/
§tandard Oil. Company, Chicago, l'lL, a corporation of
ole?n usually charged to the reaction zone is at least 3.
Higher ratios may be used. Under some conditions, the
No Drawing. Filed Sept. 22, 196i}, Ser. No. 57,631
ratio of isoparat?n/ ole?n in the reaction zone may be as
8 Claims. (Ci. 269-68353)
much as 100. More usually, this ratio, in the process of
this invention, is from 3 to about 25.
10
This invention relates to allrylation of ole?ns and iso
The alkylation reaction is carried out in the liquid state
para?ins utilizing aluminum chloride-dialkyl ether com
and su?icient pressure is maintained on the system to keep
plex catalyst. More particularly, it relates to a process
the reactants essentially entirely liquid. The alkylation
Indiana
providing higher octane number alkylate and longer cata
lyst life.
15
There is presently known a process for production of
alkylate by the reaction of ole?ns and isopara?ins in the
reaction in the process of the invention is carried out at a
temperature such as is typical of AlCla-type alkylation
processes. More speci?cally, herein, the reaction is at a
temperature of from about 0° F. to about 70° F. In gen
presence of a liquid catalyst commonly considered to be
eral, the octane number of the alkylate product increases
a complex of aluminum chloride and dialkyl ether. This
as the temperature of the alkylation is lowered. It is pre
catalyst contains more than 1 mole of aluminum chloride 20 ferred to operate at the lower end of the temperature range
per mole of ether but less than 2 moles of aluminum chlo
and suitably at 5-25" F. The e?ective catalyst utilized in
ride per mole of ether. The complex containing an equi
the process of the invention consists essentially of alumi
molar amount of aluminum chloride and of ether is in
num chloride and a dialkyl ether. The catalyst contains
active. This catalyst system reacts with the hydrocarbon
more than an equimolar amount of aluminum chloride
charged to produce, gradually, a complex of aluminum 25 and ether. Less than 2 moles of aluminum chloride are
chloride and hydrocarbon. The presence of this alumi
present per mole of ether. It is thought that the actual
num chloride-hydrocarbon complex decreases the activity
catalyst is aluminum chloride physically dissolved in an
of the ether complex catalyst system. It has been found
AlCl3-ether complex which complex contains about 1 mole
that the octane number of the alkylate produced by react
of AlCl3 per mole of ether. A complex containing an
ing isopara?ins and ole?ns containing more than 2 carbon 30 equimolar amount of AlCl3 and ether is completely inac‘
atoms can be greatly improved by having present in the
tive for promoting the alkylation of the de?ned ole?ns and
reaction zone an aromatic hydrocarbon inhibitor; this in
isopara?ins. The presence of AlCls beyond the 1:1 ratio
hibitor apparently suppresses the ability of the ether cata
requirement produces an active catalyst system. (In the
lyst system to isomerize the initial product to isomers of
prior art the composition of the catalyst system has been
lower octane number. The aromatic inhibitors increase
in terms of the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ether
the amount of aluminum chloride-hydrocarbon complex
present in the catalyst phase present in the reaction zone.
produced.
For clarity, hereinafter, the active catalyst system will be
‘It is the object of this invention to utilize the above
de?ned as a 1:1 complex containing physically dissolved
described aluminum chloride-ether complex catalyst along
AlClg. This physically dissolved AlCl3 is hereinafter re
with inhibitors which will permit high octane number 40
terred
to as “free-A1013”)
product at a minimum of wastage of hydrocarbon to alumi
Even a trace amount of free-A1Cl3 produces some
num chloride-hydrocarbon complex. Other objects will
catalytic activity. Activity of a signi?cant degree for
become apparent in the course of the detailed description
many reactant combinations is obtained with about 0.5
of the invention.
weight percent of free-AlCl3. The free-AlClg content ‘is
it has been discovered that alkylate of improved octane 45 always stated in terms of the 1:1 complex present in the
number and that the build-up of aluminum chloride-hydro
reaction zone or in the catalyst preparation zone. Increas
carbon complex is decreased by having present in the
ing the amount of free-AlCl3 present has bene?cial effect
liquid catalyst phase of an aluminum chloride-ether com
on the activity and on catalyst activity maintenance.
plex catalyst alkylation process involving an isopara?in
Usually, it is desirable to operate with a complex which
and an ole?n containing more than 2 carbon atoms, a
is essentially saturated with free-AlCl3 at the particular
metal halide. The halogen from which the halide is de
temperature of operation. For example, a complex
rived is either chlorine, bromine or iodine. The metal
formed from dimethyl ether or diethyl ether will dissolve
portion of the halide is derived from either lithium or
about 15 weight percent of free-AlCl3 at 75° F.
sodium. In the case of lithium halide, the usage of salt is
The liquid catalyst system is capable of maintaining
usually from 0.1 to about 1.0‘ mole per mole of free-alumi 55 in relatively stable dispersion, a considerable weight of
num chloride present in the catalyst phase. In the case
?nely divided aluminum chloride. It is thought that this
of sodium halide, the usage of salt is usually from about
dispersed solid aluminum chloride does not participate
0.1 to about 0.7 mole per mole of free-aluminum chloride
in the catalytic activity. However, as free-AlCla is ex
present in the catalyst phase. The term “free-aluminum
tracted from the catalyst phase either by reaction to pro
chloride” is intended to mean that aluminum chloride pres
duce aluminum chloride-hydrocarbon complex or solu
ent in the catalyst phase in excess of 1 mole of aluminum
tion into the alkylate product leaving the reaction zone,
chloride per mole of the particular ether present.
the dispersed solid aluminum chloride dissolves and per
The process of the invention is applicable to ole?ns con—
mits operation for a longer period at maximum catalyst
taining 3, 4 or 5 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof. The
activity. In general, it is preferred that the free-AlCla
isopara?‘lns charged to the process of the invention con 65 content of the catalyst phase be maintained at the desired
tain 4 or 5 carbon atoms and may be mixtures of these.
level by the well known techniques other than through
Butene-Z is a particularly suitable ole?n tor the production
the presence of dispersed solid aluminum chloride.
of very high octane number alkylate product. Isobutane
The complex consists of aluminum chloride and dialkyl
is a preferred isopara?in. (The metal halides inhibit the
ether. In the process of the invention, it is preferred that
the ether be a di-n-alkyl ether wherein each of the n—alkyl
catalytic activity of the Alclg-ether complex catalyst sys_
tem sufficiently that ethylene alkylation is not a practical
groups contains 1, 2, 3 or 4 carbon atoms. The particu
lar n-alkyl groups are methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and n-butyl.
embodiment.) The isoparatiins and ole?ns are contacted
aortas/ta
Illustrative others are dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, meth
ylethyl ether, di~n-propyl ether, methyl-n~propyl ether,
and di-n-butyl ether. In low temperature operation, a
physical mixture of dimethyl ether and diethyl ether has
been found to be particularly useful. Another particu
larly suitable combination of others for use in low tel -~
peratures is the equilibrium mixture of diethyl ether, di
methyl ether and methyiethyl ether.
it is intended that any one of these may be used with the
process of the instant invention.
EXAMPLES
The process of the invention is illustrated by certain
Working examples carried out in a semi-batch operation.
For purposes of comparison, tests utilizing the basic prior
art process and a prior art inhibited process are also set
forth hereinafter.
All or" the illustrations utilized essentially pure isobu
lyst phase. This phase includes the hereinbetore de?ned 10
tane and butene-Z as the reactants. The complex was
catalyst system. Also present is aluminum chloride-hy
In the alkylation zone, there is present a liquid cata
made up with CP aluminum chloride and an equirnolar
drocarbon complex formed by reaction of free-AlCls and
hydrocarbon. The hydrocarbon complex is almost com
pletely miscible with the ether complex. The amount of
hydrocarbon complex present is dependent upon the open
ating conditions and the inhibitor present.
Also present in the catalyst phase, in the process of
mixture of dimethyl ether and diethyl ether. The 121
AlCh-ether complex was forti?ed with aluminum chlo
ride. With the exception of one test, the complex was
essentially saturated with aluminum chloride: At the 50°
F. temperature of operation, the free-aluminum chloride
the invention, is a metal halide.
content was 12 weight percent.
The metal halide con
In one test, the free
aluminum chloride amounted to 9 weight percent. In
tains the halide ion, chloride, bromide or iodide and the
metal ion, lithium or sodium. Although there is added 20 those tests wherein metal halide inhibitor was used, finely
divided anhydrous salt was added to the catalyst system
to the catalyst phase the particularly de?ned metal halide,
in the reaction vessel in the amount desired to provide
it is to be understood that the metal halide may not exist
the mole ratio of inhibitor to free-AlCls present.
in the catalyst phase in the state in which it was added.
The reaction vessel was a 1 liter steel autoclave pro
It is known that sodium chloride very rapidly reacts with
free-A1013 to form the adduct sodium aluminum tetra~ 25 vided with four vertical baiiles positioned at the wall to
improve agitation provided by a 2" propeller driven at
chloride. It has been observed that the potassium salts
1800 rpm. by an electric motor. The reaction vessel
and the lithium and sodium fluorides are either insoluble
was positioned in a ‘bath which permitted maintaining the
in the catalyst system or have no effective inhibiting
reactor at the desired temperature~in these tests 50° F.
power.
In each test, 15 ml. of the catalyst system was added to
The metal halide inhibitor shows bene?cial effects on 30
the reactor along with 650 ml. of isobutane: All of the
octane number of the alkylate product and the amount
isobutane was present in the reactor. After the con
of aluminum chloride-hydrocarbon complex formed as
tents of the reactor had been brought to 50° F., butene-Z
soon as any is added to the liquid catalyst phase in the
was added to the reactor at a rate of 2 ml. per minute. '
reaction zone. The bene?cial effect increases with in
creased amount of inhibitor added, up to a point. With 35 A total of 120 ml. of butene-Z was charged over a period
of one hour. After all of the ole?n was added, the agi
lithium halides, it appears that substantially maximum
bene?ts are obtained at a usage of about 1 mole of lithium
tation was continued for 3-5 minutes. It was observed
halide per mole of free-AlCla present in the catalyst
phase. Substantial improvements are obtained starting at
that the ole?n reacted with great rapidity and the addi
tional contacting time after ole?n addition was stopped
about 0.1 mole of lithium halide added. in the case of
was more or less precautionary rather than necessary.
sodium halide, the inhibiting bene?t disappears when the
The propeller was stopped and the contents of the
reactor permitted to settle. A siphon tube was used to
remove substantially all of the isobntane and alkylate:
This material was drawn o? into a Dry Ice cooled vessel.
amount of halide added is about 1 mole per mole of free
AlCls present; the sodium halide-aluminum chloride ad
duct has no inhibiting eilect or catalytic eiiect. With
sodium halides, the usage falls within the range of about 4 Or Dry Ice was used to solidify the liquid catalyst phase
present in the reactor. The liquid hydrocarbon remain
0.1-0.7 mole per mole of free-AlCl3.
ing in the reactor was then decanted from the solid cata
The de?ned metal halides are soluble to a large extent
lyst phase and added to the ?rst quantity of hydrocarbon
in the catalyst system. It has been observed that the
removed.
presence of ole?n in the catalyst preparation zone greatly
The butane was removed from the alkylate in a stabiliz
increases the “solubility” of the metal halide being added. 50
ing column. The total alkylate bottoms were water
The presence of metal halide in excess of that soluble in
Washed to remove catalyst phase and dried over potas
the liquid catalyst phase does not have any deleterious
sium carbonate. The dried alkylate was weighed to ob
effects.
tain the yield in the particular test. In all tests reported
The process of the invention produces substantial yield
of alkylate of excellent octane number without the de 55 herein, the yield of alkylate is the weight of total alkylate
based on the weight of butene-Z charged. (A yield of
liberate addition of halide promoter for AlCl3-type cata
only octane product would be 204 Weight percent based
lyst. Suitable halide promoters are hydrogen chloride
on butene-2 charged.)
and alkyl halides such as t-butyl chloride. High catalyst
‘activity and long catalyst activity maintenance requires
The dried total alkylate was distilled to remove an
the presence of halide promoter. Hydrogen chloride is 60 overhead fraction having an ASTM distillation end point
of 350° .F. The fraction boiling above 350° F. end point
a preferred promoter. The amount of halide promoter
is termed “heavy ends.” The CPR-R clear octane num
- added is dependent upon the particular conditions of
ber of the alkylate overhead product was obtained. In
operation. In general, the minimum amount of halide
some tests, analysis by carbon number was obtained on
promoter consistent with the desired activity maintenance
the overhead alkylate product. In those tests which illus
is used. Illustrative or" halide promoter usage is the addi 65 trate one embodiment of the invention herein, the 8 car
tion of hydrogen chloride in an amount from 0.1 to 5
bon atom containing fraction was on the order of 97%
weight percent based upon the total hydrocarbon charged
of the overhead alkylate product.
to the reaction zone, i.e., the sum of isoparat?n and
The amount of aluminum chloride-hydrocarbon com
ole?n introduced into the reaction zone.
70 plex ‘formed during the particular test was determined as
It is to be understood that the contacting of the re
a measure of the catalyst life. The aluminum chloride
. actants and the liquid catalyst phase may be carried out
hydrocarbon complex was not determined as such. It
.in any process vessel providing intimate intermingling of
has been determined that the amount of “red oil” present
_ the hydrocarbon liquid and the catalyst phase. Numerous
in the catalyst phase at the end of the test effectively
operating procedures are known in the allrylation art and
demonstrates the amount of aluminum chloride-hydro
8,076,048
5
carbon complex formed. The solidi?ed catalyst phase
was melted and weighed. The catalyst phase was then
decomposed with water. A supernatant layer of liberated
ether and red oil forms which supernatant layer was
decanted away from the aqueous layer. The ether was
liquid state, an ole?n having 3-5 carbon atoms and an
isopara?in having 4-5 carbon atoms in a mole ratio of
isoparaf?n/ole?n of at least 3, at a temperature from
about 0° F. to about 70° F., to obtain a branched chain
alkylate, said contacting being carried out in the presence
of a liquid catalyst phase consisting essentially of AlCl3
separated from the red oil by distillation. The recovered
red oil was weighed. The amount of red oil formed dur~
ing the test is reported as weight percent based on the
total catalyst phase existing in the reactor at the end
of the test. This catalyst phase consists of aluminum
di-n-alkyl ether complex containing about one mole of
AlCls per mole of ether, each of said n-alkyl groups con
taining 1-4 carbon atoms, free-A1013 dissolved in said
complex in an amount of from about ‘0.5 weight percent,
chloride-ether complex, free AlCla, aluminum chloride
hydrocarbon complex and trace amounts of hydrocarbon.
based on said complex, to the saturation amount at the
temperature of operation, and about 0.1-1.0 moles of
lithium halide inhibitor per mole of said free-A1Cl3, said
halide ion being selected from the class consisting of
chloride, bromide and iodide, and hydrogen chloride pro
moter for the catalyst, and recovering said alkylate from
In the table below are reported tests using lithium
chloride, in various amounts, sodium chloride, in various
amounts, lithium bromide and sodium bromide at a given
single amount. Lithium ?uoride and sodium fluoride
tested at a usage of 1 mole per mole of free-AlCl3 had
no bene?cial effects.
catalyst phase and unreacted hydrocarbons.
'
For purposes of comparison, test Number 1 was car
ried out in the absence of any inhibitor. The effective
6
1. An alkylation process comprising contacting, in the
2. The process of claim 1 wherein said inhibitor amount
20 is about 1 mole per mole of said free—AlCl3.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is
about 5—25° F.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said ether is di~
ness of this catalyst system is demonstrated by the 212
percent yield in spite of 8.8% red oil production.
The inhibited process of U.S. Patent Number 2,897,248
methyl ether.
is illustrated by run Number 11 wherein hexaethylbenzene
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said ether is about
was added along with the butene-Z: The hexaethylbenzene 25
the equilibrium mixture of dimethyl ether, diethyl ether
and methylethyl ether.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said isoparaf?n is
was used in an amount of 0.5 weight percent based on the
total of isobutane and butene-2.
The test set out in the table shows that lithium chlo
isobutane.
7. The process of claim 6 wherein said ole?n is
amount of lithium chloride used was increased, the oc 30
butene-Z.
tane number increased to 100 with some decrease in
ride reduces the red oil formation markedly: As the
8. An alkylation process comprising contacting, in the
yield—-the red oil formation was only 1A of the compari
son test Number 1. Test Number 11 shows that lithium
chloride is essentially as e?ective in octane number im
liquid state, an ole?n having 3-5 carbon atoms and an
isopara?in having, 4-5 carbon atoms in a mole ratio of
provement and yield of product as the hcxaethylbenzene 35 isoparaf?n/ole?n of at least 3, at a temperature from
about 0° F. to about 70° F, to obtain a branched chain
inhibitor and produces only about 1/5 of the red oil.
alkylate, said contacting being carried out in the presence
The sodium chloride test shows that this is an e?ec
of a liquid catalyst phase consisting essentially of AlCl3
tive inhibitor with respect to both octane number im
di-u-alkyl ether complex containing about one mole of
provement and red oil suppression, to a point. Test
Number 8 and test Number 10 show that sodium halides 40 AlCla per mole of ether, each of said n-alkyl groups con
kill the catalyst system when used in molar amounts
taining 1-4 carbon atoms; free-AlCl3 ‘dissolved in said
complex in an amount of from about 0.5 weight percent,
equaling the amount of free-A1013 present.
based on said complex, to the saturation amount at the
Table
temperature of operation; a metal halide inhibitor, in said
45 catalyst phase, which inhibitor is selected from the class
Mole ratio Yield total
Test
Inhibitor 1
inhibitor:
alkylntc 3
free-A1013 2
None
350° F
212
93. 4
8. 8
204
200
187
195
203
174
94. 8
98. 0
100.0
99. 5
96. 2
99.3
5. 3
3.7
1. 9
2. 6
2.0
2.0
NaOl
1.0
None
LiBr
1. 0
179
1. 0
None
NaBr
(i)
.......... ..
consisting of lithium chloride, lithium bromide, lithium
iodide, sodium chloride, sodium bromide and sodium
iodide; wherein the amount of said inhibitor present, in
moles per mole of free-AlCl3 present, is about 0.1-1.0
Red oil 4
alkylate
0. 5
0.75
1.0
1.0
0. 33
0.67
LiCl
LiC-l
LiCl
LiCl
NaCl
NaGl
__________ __
Clear
CFReR,
1
____________________ __
98. 4
3 1
____________________ _.
100. 6
9 7
50 when said inhibitor is one of said lithium halides and is
about 0.1-0.7 when said inhibitor is one of said sodium
halides; and hydrogen halide promoter for the catalyst,
and recovering said alkylate from catalyst phase and un
55
reacted hydrocarbons.
References €ited in the tile of this patent
UNITED STATES PATENTS
1 LiF and NaF had no bene?cial effect.
2 12% free-A1613 except 9% in Test 5.
3 Wt. % based on butene-2 charged.
‘ Wt. 91, based on catalyst phase present at end of test.
?tlilexaethylbenzene. —0.5 Wt. % added based on hydrocarbon re
ae ‘ants.
Thus having described the invention what is claimed
is:
2,180,374
2,296,511
2,897,248
Stahly et al. __________ __ Nov. 21, 1939
Frey et al. ___________ __ Sept. 22, 1942
Roebuck et a1 __________ ..- July 28, 1959